Stone picker



May 26,1936. QLSCHEMA 2,042,193

STONE P ICKER Filed June 6, 1955 k\ INVENTCDR.

L J0 6M$ u, f W i ATTO Y.

Patented May 26, 1936 ITED STATES 3 Claims.

This invention appertains to farm and like equipment, and more particularly to novel means for picking up and removing stones from fields.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide an improved stone gatherer, which can be easily drawn over the ground, and which will eifectively uproot and gather surface stones and convey the same to a suitable hopper on the frame, which can be dumped at preferred intervals on the ground into piles, or into carts, so that the stones can be carried to a desired remote point.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide a stone gathering machine, including a main frame mounted upon a suitably weighted land roller and carrying an endless conveyor, and a pivoted supplemental frame, with means for adjusting the position of the supplemental frame relative to the ground and the main frame, whereby the depth of penetration of the uprooting prongs can be controlled.

A further object of my invention is the provision of ground runners carried by the supplemental frame, having resilient supporting arms for engaging the front end of the main frame, with novel means for carrying the stones uprooted by the prong associated with the supplemental frame to the rear of the main frame and into the hopper carried thereby.

A further object of my invention is the provision of means under the control of the operator for dumping the hopper at desired intervals.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved stone gatherer of the above character, which will be durable and efficient in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture, and one which can be placed upon the market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed,

and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

which drawing:-

Figure l is a central longitudinal section through my improved rock gatherer.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of my .improved stone gatherer, showing the rear end thereof.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the improved device, showing the front end thereof, the draw-bar being shown broken away and in 557 section.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary transverse section taken on the line 44 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a similar view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews, the letter A generally indicates my improved stone gatherer, which comprises a main frame Iii. This frame it! includes a pair of spaced, longitudinally extending main beams II, which can be connected together and braced in any desired. manner. The extreme rear ends of the main beams II have secured thereto the depending hopper [2 for receiving the gathered stone, and this hopper is provided with an inclined rigid bottom wall l3, and a swinging dump bottom gate l4, which is also arranged at an angle to the horizontal. tained in a closed position by means which will be later set forth.

Arranged in advance of the hopper l2is a supplemental frame l5. This supplemental frame [5 embodies a pair of spaced parallel bottom beams I6, and a pair of top spaced parallel frame beams ll. Rigidly secured to the lower surface of the top frame beams I1 is a bed plate l8 over which the gathered rocks are drawn and elevated.v Depending from the main beams ll adjacent to 30 the front end of the hopper [2 are bearing brackets l9, which receive and support the transversely extending shaft 20. The rear ends of the supplemental frame beams l6 and I! carry independent bearings 2 l which are rockably mounted on the cross shaft 20, whereby said pairs of supplemental frame beams i6 and I! can swing independently of one another relative to the main frame beams ID. The lower pair of supplemental frame beams [B are rigidly connected together by transversely extending slats 22, on which the bottom plate I8 carried by the supplemental frame beams I! normally rests. The extreme front ends of the supplemental frame beams l1 carry forwardly and downwardly projecting rockdigging prongs 23, and these prongs can be rigidly bolted or riveted to a cross bar 24 connected to said beams 11.

Disposed in front of and below the hopper I2 is a transversely extending land roller 24, on which the rock gatherer travels. This roller 24 is utilized instead of ground wheels, and is preferably of a weighted character. An axially disposed axle 25 is carried by the land roller 24, and the ends of the axle are rotatably mounted This gate 14 is normally main- 2'6 ners 21, and the ground roller 24, and that the prongs23 pick up the rocks during the travelofthe machine. The rocks picked up by the prongs 23 are conveyed back over the bed or bottom=plate l8 to the hopper l2 by an endless conveyor- 29,

The conveyor 29 includes a pair of spaced endless sprocket chains 30, the opposite ends of which are trained over front and rear pairs of sprocket wheels 3! and 32.

The front pair of sprocket wheels 3| are keyed on. or otherwise secured to a front cross shaft 33 rotatably mountedin suitable bearings carried by the front ends of the main frame beams II. The rear pair of sprocket wheels 32 are keyed or otherwise secured to a cross shaft 34, the

terminals of which are rotatably mounted inbearing blocks 35' carried by the main frame beams I l adjacent to the rear ends thereof. The sprocket chains 30 carry cross flights 35 at spaced intervals, and. these cross flights may include transversely extending bars 35 carrying a plurality of equidistantly spaced curved teeth 31. The ends of the bars 36 are rigidly connected to laterally extending clips 38 carried by certain links of the endless chains 30.

To bring about the proper driving of the endless conveyor 29, the rear shaft 34, and the main axle 25, have keyed respectively thereto sprocket wheels 39 and 40. The sprocket wheel 40 is of a considerably greater size than the sprocket wheel 39, and these wheels are operatively connected by a drive sprocket chain 4|. Obviously, during the travel of the machine over the ground the conveyor will be driven, and the teeth 31 of the flights will scrape by the prongs 293 and over the bed-plate l8, and carry the gathered rocks into the hopper.

Means is provided for adjusting the position of the bottom supplemental frame beams l6 relative to the main frame beams H, and to the ground, and this means consists of overlapping brackets 42 and 43 carried respectively by the main frame beams H and the supplemental beams IS; The overlapping portions of the brackets are adjustably connected together in any desired manner. This will regulate the depth of penetration of the prongs 23 into the ground.

The machine can be drawn over the ground.

in any desired way, such as by draft animals, or by a tractor, and any conventional type of draw-bar 44 can be connected with the frame. In the present illustration the draw-bar 44 includ'es depending side arms 45, the lower terminals of which are rigidly bolted to the supple.- mental'beams I 6. The intermediate portions of the arms 45 are adjustably connected to the main framebeams H, and these beams can carryoutwardly extending bolts received within slots formed in said arms 45.

No normally maintain the gate I 4 of the hopper in its closed position, pivoted latches 46 are provided. The rear ends of these latches are rigidly secured to a rock shaft 41 mounted in bearings carried by the inclined bottom wall I3 of the hopper. By locking the shaft 41, the latches 46 can be moved into and out of operative engagement with the gate l4. To facilitate the operation of the rock shaft 41, a hand lever 48 is rigidly connected to this shaft. A contractile coil spring 49 connects the hand lever 48 with a part of the supporting frame, and functions to normally hold the latches 46 in their elevated position, and in. engagement with the gate l4. When the hopper is loaded with stones, the lever 48 can be swung in a clockwise direction, (see Figure 2 of the drawing), which will throw the noses of the latches 46 below the front edge of the gate, and allow the gate to swing open under the weight of the rocks. The rocks can either bedumped in piles, or can be dumped into carts placed under the hopper.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided an exceptionally simple and eflicient machine for picking up and gathering rocks from fields,.andlike places.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention, but what I' claim. asnew is:-

l; A stone gatherer comprising a main frame including a pair of spaced parallel, longitudinally extending beams, a supplemental frame including pairs of upper and lower spaced parallel beams, means rockably supporting the rear ends.

of the upper and lower beams of the supplemental frame from. the main frame beams, ground-engaging means carried by the opposite ends. of the lower supplemental frame beams, digging prongs carried by the forwardends of the upper supplemental frame beams, means adjustably connecting the main frame beams to the lower supplemental frame beams, an endless conveyor carried by the main frame beams for conveying rock picked up by the prongs to the rear. end of the machine, and means for receivingthe rock from the conveyor;

2. A rock-gathering machine comprising a main frame including a pair of spaced parallel main beams, a supplemental frame including, apair of lower beams and a pair of upper beams, a transversely extending shaft carried by the main beams, means rockably mounting the rear terminals of the upper and lower pairs of sup-- plemental beams to the shaft, a. land roller rotatably carried by the lower supplemental beams adjacent to their rear ends, a pair of ground runners carried by the forward ends of the lower supplemental beams, resilient supporting arms on said runners engaging the front ends of themain beams, means adjustably connecting. the

main frame beams and the lower supplemental frame beams together, digging prongs carried by the upper supplemental beams, a longitudinally extending bed-plate carried by said upper supplemental beams, an endless conveyor for carrying'rock picked up by the prongs to the rear end of the machine, means for receiving the rocks from the conveyor, and means for driving the conveyor from the land roller.

3. A rock-gathering. machine comprising a main frame. including a pair of spaced parallel main beams, a supplemental frame including a:

adjacent to their rear ends, a pair of ground runners carried by the forward ends of the lower supplemental beams, resilient supporting arms on said runners engaging the front ends of the main beams, means adjustably connecting the main frame beams and the lower supplemental frame beams together, digging prongs carried by the upper supplemental beams, a longitudinally extending bed-plate carried by said upper supple- 10 mental beams, an endless conveyor for carrying rock picked up by the prongs to the rear end of the machine, means for receiving the rocks from the conveyor, means for driving the conveyor from the land roller, said rock-receiving means including a hopper having a pivoted bottom gate, and manually controlled rigid means for normally maintaining the gate in a closed position.

LOUIS SCHEMA. 10 

